asked the Minister for Justice if in the case of small rural Garda stations which close at 6 p.m. he will arrange to have a telephone installed in the private residence of a member from that station so that Garda assistance may be more readily available in cases of emergency.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Rural Garda Stations.
27.
In the normal way Garda assistance can be quickly provided when stations are closed by telephoning the nearest district headquarters which is open round-the-clock. Moreover, there are telephone extensions from over 80 per cent of these stations to the married quarters and residences of members. The Garda commissioner is considering whether further improvements can be made and a number of suggestions, including one for the provision of police boxes, are being examined.
May I put it to the Minister that it is of little use to telephone the district headquarters if that headquarters is 30 miles away from the garda whose services are sought? I would ask him as a matter of urgency to instal phones in the private residences so that Garda assistance will be immediately available in all parts of the country at all times.
As I pointed out in the reply, there are telephones in over 80 per cent of the married quarters or official residences.
Provide them in the other 20 per cent.
The practice is not specially to instal a phone in a private house that is owned privately by a member of the force.
I would suggest to the Minister that there is an analogy between private telephones which are installed in the homes of part-time firemen. If it can be done in that case, surely it can be done in the case of gardaí?
In view of the fact that over 80 per cent of them have phones at the moment, that is not too bad, and the commissioner is considering the question of police boxes, which would get over the problem.